Article Prepared By Robert Michie
Trails and Sidewalk Committee, Lee District
Last Reviewed: 16 November 2014
Revision 3

Summary:

SCI Virginia Funeral Services Inc.has filed a site plan to construct a mausoleum on their property in the
Lee Planning District (Tax Map
#092-2-01 0023).

The requestor is
asking Fairfax County to waive the requirement
for dedication and construction of right-of-way for the site plan.

Specifically, Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance
Section 17-201,4 requests that SCI dedicate up to 43.5 feet of right-of-way
from the road centerline which is typical for a typical 2-lane shoulder road
section (South King's Highway).
SCI requests that the County accept a
modification to this request require a dedication of an additional 5.5 feet
from the existing right-of-way, or 20.5 feet from the approximate road
centerline, as current physical features prevent a full dedication of the
right-of-way:

The full requested right-of-way dedication will not be possible due to
existing in-ground burials and a proposed landscape buffer.

The cemetery has a large brick entrance feature that currently extends
to less than 6.5 feet to the existing right-of-way.

A Special use permit for the mausoleum (SPA-83-L-100-3) requires a
landscape buffer between an existing burial garden and the existing
chain link fence on the South Kings Highway frontage.

An existing burial internment exists outside the grounds and in the
location of any new pedestrian path.

Map 1: Map of Subject Area: The cemetery is shown (in
white).
North on the map is "down"

Discussion:

Map 1 shows the property, which is located at 6600 South Kings Highway.
The property has a 2/10 of a mile frontage on the Highway. A westbound bus
stop is located approximately where the "2" is on the map. An eastbound bus
stop is in the vicinity of Franklin Street. The South Kings Station
condominium is to the right (east) of the property, and the Beacon Hill
apartments are directly across the Highway from the cemetery.

South Kings Highway has existing four-foot wide sidewalks in the area.
The sidewalks "leapfrog" from the north to the south side of the Highway in
the vicinity of the cemetery. At this point, the sidewalk is on the north
side of the Highway, and it ends at Southgate Drive. The sidewalk does not
resume on the south side for about 150 feet. It resumes at the edge of the
condominium property.

During the 45-minute field check on Sunday 9 November, there were 12
pedestrians moving through the area. An additional field check on the
Veteran's Day holiday saw five more pedestrians in the area in 15 minutes.

Field Check 9 November 2014

Photo 1: South Kings Highway looking east. The subject
property is on the left side of the fence. A line of graves is visible
about fifteen feet from the fence. The existing pavement on the right
side of the fence is also about fifteen feet away.

Photo 2: South Kings Highway looking east. A grave
(Topic #4 in the Summary) is shown about six feet from the pavement. The
worn footpath and the sidewalk in the distance shows pedestrian traffic to and from
the Beacon Hill apartments.

Photo 3: Mt Comfort Entrance (to come)

Recommendation:

Commenting on the Right-of-Way waiver is beyond the scope of the Fairfax
County Trails and Sidewalks Committee. However, the Trails and Sidewalks
requirement embedded in the waiver request is what our committee was
established to comment upon.

Deny the Trails and Sidewalks waiver for the following reasons:

Residents in the area as shown by Photo 2 and the 9 November Field
Check need a safe and accessible sidewalk in this area.

The gravesite shown in Photo 2 has been in place for over 50 years.
It should have been relocated decades ago. Virginia State Law has
provisions for relocating graves due to eminent domain needs or property
transfers, even if the gravesite is considered abandoned.

The rest of the right-of-way should be searched for additional (and
probably unmarked) gravesites.